3 Reasons why Kevin Durant could leave the Golden State Warriors in 2019

Kevin Durant's future is the talk of the basketball world. The Golden State Warriors are doing everything in their power to keep the 9-time NBA All-Star, however, the 30-year-old may want to embark on a new challenge if he collects a third consecutive NBA title this season.

For the last few seasons, Durant has resisted the temptation of a max contract and instead took pay-cuts in order to enjoy success with the Warriors. Durant is adamant that he will not sacrifice money again, so the Warriors would have to pay a record amount of luxury tax to keep KD.

It looks increasingly unlikely that Durant will still be a Warrior at the start of the 2019/20 NBA season, and here are three of the reasons why the superstar could leave at the end of this season.

#3 Burned bridges

Draymond Green and Kevin Durant were recently involved in a very public disagreement

Most individuals would be able to overcome a heated confrontation with a teammate. However, Kevin Durant has an issue with letting things go, and he was famously caught using a second twitter account in order to criticize his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates.

In the aftermath of his confrontation with Green, Durant appeared to mouth the words 'That's why I'm out', and he also took issue when asked by a reporter about his relationship with Green. Golden State backed Durant during the whole sage, however, Durant has reportedly already made his mind up to leave the Warriors in free agency.

#2 The opportunity to finally lead his own team

Russell Westbrook was the fans' favorite at OKC

Despite being the best player in both California and Oklahoma, Durant has never been the leader of the team. Golden State is widely regarded to be Steph Curry's team, whereas Oklahoma management and fans both preferred Russell Westbrook.

Interested NBA teams will pitch to Durant that they want him to be both the leader and face of the franchise, something that KD can never achieve in Golden State. Durant will have the opportunity to lead one of the biggest markets in Basketball such as the New York Knicks and for the first time in his career, Durant will be the main focus of the franchise.

#1 KD wants to prove his doubters wrong

Durant could become a three-time NBA champion in June

Durant has elevated the Golden State Warriors to a new level since his arrival. He has transformed an already dominant team into one of the best in NBA history. He remains on course for a third title in three years. However, KD has had to deal with his fair share of critics, who labeled his move to the NBA's best team as 'weak'.

Durant is a sensitive player, and he clearly cares about what both the fans and NBA media think of him. He is aware of the history that he is making with the Warriors, although he also recognizes that he may need to win elsewhere to be truly considered as one of the best of all time.

The 30-year-old is now in his peak years, and he will most likely spend them at a new team, as he tries to win an NBA Championship on his own terms.